behaviour toward climate change and sustainable consumption starting from this April. We achieved our objectives of revealing Chinese young people's perception toward climate change and sustainable consumption through the survey, and raising public awareness and mobilizing public opinion and communication with policy makers through associated debates and media reports by major media in China. It has provided us useful information to help us further develop our Climate Cool to influence our target audience.

Method

Nearly 10,000 participants from all income levels around China were involved in this survey which applied two methods for collecting data: questionnaires via newspapers/Internet and face-to-face interviews. After nearly two weeks' survey, 2500 questionnaires were selected as the samples of final statistics.

Public awareness of climate change

According to the data collected, most of participants are aware of both reasons and consequences of climate change. Approximately 80% youths indicated their concerns on the climate change and related disasters, particularly on the "climate change will cause rising sea levels and a reduction in land area" and "some coastal cities and islands may disappear". Meanwhile, more than half of participants (55%) also concerned about "the extinction of the polar bear" due to climate change.

Sustainable consumption in daily life

The statistics shows that although most of youths noticed the negative effects of automobile exhausts on the urban air pollution, they unlikely to make significant changes on their consumption behaviours. Approximately 2/3 participants indicated their wills of purchasing cars within their financial capabilities.

Moreover, it is also found that the more adults (76%) have a positive attitude to saving energy, electricity and water than the under-18s (34%) though the blind spots in the public's environmental knowledge also occur among young adults, for instance, benefits of energy-saving light bulbs and personal water consuming volume…

Young people's consumption patterns

According the statistics, housing (38%), travelling abroad (21%) and to own a car (12%) could be considered as the three major desires of consumption for Chinese youths, which share almost same attitudes with British young consumers. Furthermore, over-consumption and spending on public accounts are often in the public eye as well.

In terms of consuming behaviours, most of participants（77%）are holding negative attitudes against the cost benefits of energy-saving products on the Chinese market. The young consumers therefore would be not actively choosing the energy-saving products.

The effects of environmental awareness

The statistics shows that most of the public looks to the government （58.8%）and establishments（24%） to take the responsibilities playing an exemplary role in sustainable consumption, which is also similar with British participants' attitudes.

The "conservation-minded society" and ideas of sustainable development advocated by the government were supported by 61% of participants. However there are also 34% participants indicated they do not have means to carry out.

According to the survey, there would be strong resistance if people were asked to sacrifice their current living standards for the sake of sustainable consumption. However, since traditional values that promote simple lifestyles are still strong, the values of energy-conservation and environmental protection have gained strong public acceptance.